p I 



was firft taken notice of in the Year 

 1555. between Orford and Aldbo- 

 rough, where it grew upon the 

 Heath, where nothing, no not Graf?, 

 was ever feen to grow ; and the poor 

 People, being in Diftrefs, by reafon 

 of the Dearth of that Year, gather- 

 ed large Quantities of thefe Peas, and 

 fb preferv'd themfelves and Fami- 

 lies. This is mentionM by Stow in 

 his Chronicle y and Camden in his 

 Britannia : but they were both mif- 

 taken, in imagining that they were 

 Peas call on Shore by a Shipwreck, 

 feeing they grow in divers otln j r 

 Farts of England, and are undoubt- 

 edly a different Species from the 

 common Pea. 



The fixtecnth Sort is greatly cul- 

 tivated in the Fields in Dorfetjhire, 

 where they are known by the Name 

 of Pig Peas, the Inhabitants making 

 great Ufe of them to feed their Hogs. 

 Thefe are often brought up to Lon- 

 don, and fold for the fame Purpofe. 



I (hall now proceed to fet down 

 the Method of cultivating the feve- 

 ral Sorts of Garden Peas, fo as to 

 continue them throughout the Sea- 

 ion. 



It is a common Practice with the 

 Gardeners near London, to raife Peas 

 upon Hot-beds, to have them very 

 early in the Spring; in order to 

 which, they fow their Peas upon 

 warm Borders under Walls or 

 Hedges, about the Middle of Oclo- 

 brr ; and when the Plants come up, 

 they draw the Earth up gently to 

 their Stems with an Hoe, the better 

 to protect them from Froft : in thefe 

 Places they let them remain until 

 the Latter-end of January, or the 

 Beginning of February \ obferving to 

 earth them up from time to time, 

 as the Plants advance in Height (for 

 the Reafons before laid down) ; as 

 al fo to cover them in very hard Froft 

 with Peas -haulm, Straw, or fome 



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other light Covering, to prefervc 1 

 them from being deflroy'd : then, 

 at the time before-mention'd, they 

 make an Hot-bed (in proportion to 

 the Quantity of Peas intended), 

 which mud be well work'd in lay- 

 ing the Dung, that the Heat may not 

 be too great. The Dung mould be 

 laid about two Feet thick, or fome- 

 what more, according as the Beds 

 are made earlier or later in the Sea- 

 fon : when the Dung is equally 

 levell'd, then the Earth (which mould 

 be light and frem, but not over-rich) 

 muft be laid on about fix or eight 

 Inches thick, laying it equally all 

 over the Bed. T his being done, the 

 Frames (which mould be two Feet 

 on the Back-fide, and about four- 

 teen Inches in Front) muft be put 

 on, and cover M with GlafTes ; after 

 which it (hould remain three or four 

 Days, to let the Steam of the Bed 

 pafs otF, before you put the Plants 

 therein ; obferving every Day to' 

 raife the G lanes either with Bricks 

 or Stones,- to gjve Vent for the rifing. 

 Steam to pafs off ; then, when yoa 

 find the Bed of a fine moderate Tem- 

 perature for Heat, you fnould, with 

 a Trowel, or fome other Inftrument, 

 take up the Plants as carefully as 

 pomble, to preferve fome Earth to 

 the Roots, and plant them into the 

 Hot-bed in Rows, about a Foot 

 afundey ; and the Plants mould be 

 fet about an Inch and an half, or two 

 Inches, diftant from each other in 

 the Rows ; obferving to water and 

 fhade them until they have taken 

 Root : after which you muft be care- 

 ful to give them Air, at all times 

 when the Seafon is favourable ; 

 otherwife they will draw up very 

 weak, and be fubject to grow 

 mouldy, and decay. You mould 

 alfo draw the Earth up to the Shanks 

 of the Plants, as they advance in 

 Height; and keep them always clear 



from 



